The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-06-17
VETERANS PROTEST

NIL turn Of tile ltobel Flags. h'
New YoRs, June l5.-"May God palsy
the hand that wrote the order" "May
God palsy the brain that conceived 1t and
may God palsy tho tongue that dictated it"
G.. A. R. veterans heard these words
with hatcd breath and glanced at each
other with awe as tho terrible sentences
rang cut from the COMMANDMENT Chief Of
the Grand Army Of the Republic tonight
in Association Hall in Harlem. The occa.
sion was a reception rendered to the Com.
mander-in.C Chief by Alexander Hamilton
Post 49,, GA R.
Before the meeting opened it became
known that General Ross, OF Austin, Tex,
had received Q letter from the Adiutant
General Of the United States Army stating
that the President mad approved the
recommendation and the writer had been
instructed by the Secretary Of War to 70.
turn ell the Confederate flags in the care
OF the War Department to the Southern
States, from whose regiments the flags had
been captured during the War of the Re.
bellion. g59a
General Fairchild entered the hall with
etern.set features. Without hardly wait
ing for the usual courtesies the one.armed
leader burst forth with the expreesions re.
corded above. The General told Of the
news received by telegraph that the Pres
ident had approved Of the return of tho
"rebel flags, and how those flags had
been won by The ve.erans OF the G, AR.
in open conflict with the enemies of the
nation. The veterans had placed their
trophies in the care of the War Depart.
ment. They were intended, he eaid, 10 be
kept in the archives Of the nation IA
mementoeg Of hard won fields OF battle;
He continued: "How q the present
loyal Governors Of the Southern States
accept emblems Of treason after their pro.
fassions Of loyalty to the Union? Must
the y not return them to the Secretary and
say that have nothing to do with the
flags, as the rebel organizations are ex-
tinct and their Governors are dead 2"
General Fairchild eaid that he had fre-
quently listened to sentiments which
caused him to bite his tongue in the effort
to maintain self.control. In nine months
past he had Waited Grand Army of the
Republic Posts III evory State in the
Northeast and West. He had never in
any Post meeting heard anything but
kindly feelings expressed toward the men
who had looked into the %gun.bnrrels Of
Northern troops during the war. As Com
msnder.in.Chie he had tried to encour-
age this. Now this was changed. The
time had come to speak in the name Of
the organization. II he could not protest
against it as COMMANDMENT Chief OF the
Grand Army OF the Republic, he would
resign and protect as q private citizen.
There was g moments silence. Then q
wild hurrah went mp, and was repeated
and continued. Then came a loud call for
Corporal Tanner. He spologixed for COM
ing without his Grand Army of the Re-.
public badge. One Of the infantry re-
cruited since tho war" asked him why he
waa going out OF the house without a
badge. He answered that after the action
OF the President in the case Of the rebel
1ege, the next thing would. be IN order
demanding that the veterans OF the war
should return their Grand Army Of the
Republic bsdgee, az they were made OF
metal cast from guns captured in the war.
These remarks were received with
shouts and cheers. Then Edmund Ken
drick, lnte inspector General Of the De-
partment Of New York under General
sickles, leaped to the platform and offered
the following resolutions:
WHEREAS, The President OF the United
States having approved the recommends
ton that all tho bottle flags in the custody
Of the War Department, belonging to the
Southern G.stss In rebellion during the
late Civil War, be returned to the respec.
tive ,Statea which before them, for such
final dispoaision as they, may determine
be it go
Reso'ptd,t That this pnBt views with aur-
prise the action Of the President and re-
cords it's protest thereto; and,
Resolted, That the sacrifice Of blood
which tho captured emblems represent
was q sacrifice to liberty, to national union
and to God and,
g Rtsolryd, That no sentiment Of gener,
osity and no expression of magnanimity
are involved in the surrender Of those
covenants Of national honor; and
Resolpsd, That it only nov remeins Ia
direct that the battle tlsgs OF the Union be
distributed among tho representatives OF
the so.callsd Coniederacy, and as a fitting
acknowledgement Of the righteousness q
the Lost Csuse;" and,
Rtso'red, That this post ospreasea itl
disapprobation Of this act Of the FIRST Pres.
ident who has held ofica disassociated
from the memories of tho war for the
The resolutions were carried with {
shout. Arrangements will be made t
have q MACS meeting Of veterans next weel
t, protest against tho action Of the Preal
dent.
What Is n Bohemian9
Narpu's Wtttly,
j There has been considerable dlacusslo,
, at one time and another "a to the trait
and qualities which 60 to make mp a so
ciali Bohemian. a iashionablo;la lady once
! In deanrihinu II. anntha=- has ;ias Ai.ii.